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Trials
Published in: Trials 1/2024

Open Access 01-12-2024 | Obesity | Study protocol

Lifestyle intervention in children with obesity and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial in Ningbo city (the SCIENT study)

Authors: Ping-ping Zhang, You-xin Wang, Fang-jing Shen, Yun-fei Xing, Jia-ying Gu, Xue-ying Li, Han Jin, Shi-feng Jin, Miao Xu, Hai-jun Wang, Hui Wang, Li Li

Published in: Trials | Issue 1/2024

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Abstract

Background

The increasing prevalence of childhood obesity has become an urgent public health problem, evidence showed that intervention for childhood obesity bring enormous health benefits. However, an effective individualized intervention strategy remains to be developed, and the accompanying remission of related complications, such as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), needs to be assessed. This study aimed to develop an m-Health-assisted lifestyle intervention program targeting overweight/obese children and assess its effectiveness on indicators of adiposity and NAFLD.

Methods

This is a cluster-randomized controlled trial that conducted in children with overweight/obesity in Ningbo city, Zhejiang Province, China. Students in Grade 3 (8–10 years old) were recruited from six primary schools, with three be randomized to intervention group and three to usual practice group. The intervention program will last for one academic year and consists of health education, dietary guidance, and physical activity reinforcement. This program is characterized by encouraging four stakeholders, including School, Clinic, famIly, and studENT (SCIENT), to participate in controlling childhood obesity, assisted by m-Health technology. Assessments will be conducted at baseline and 3 months, 9 months, 24 months, and 36 months after baseline. The primary outcome will be the differences between the two groups in students’ body mass index and fatty liver index at the end of the intervention (9 months after baseline). During the implementation process, quality control methods will be adopted.

Discussion

The program will test the effectiveness of the m-Health-assisted lifestyle intervention on children with obesity and NAFLD. The results of this study will provide evidence for establishing effective lifestyle intervention strategy aimed at childhood obesity and NAFLD and may help develop guidelines for the treatment of obesity and NAFLD in Chinese children.

Trial registration

Clinicaltrials.gov NCT05482191. Registered on July 2022.
Appendix
Available only for authorised users
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Metadata
Title
Lifestyle intervention in children with obesity and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial in Ningbo city (the SCIENT study)
Authors
Ping-ping Zhang
You-xin Wang
Fang-jing Shen
Yun-fei Xing
Jia-ying Gu
Xue-ying Li
Han Jin
Shi-feng Jin
Miao Xu
Hai-jun Wang
Hui Wang
Li Li
Publication date
01-12-2024
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
Trials / Issue 1/2024
Electronic ISSN: 1745-6215
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-024-08046-4

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